Hello and thanks for stopping by! My name is Angela. I am a scientist, wife, cat-mom, and fitness enthusiast. This page is my personal blog, and you will find a range of topics, centered around healthy living. Why “The Chicken Scoop”? Well, when I started this blog, we had just gotten a small flock of chickens and the name just stuck! I hope you enjoy your visit!

Body Beast: Build Week 1

Body Beast is all about traditional weight lifting. You have sets made up of reps. Where it get a little different is that he incorporate different kinds of sets:

Pyramid Sets: You decrease reps as you increase weight. For example, I might start with 5lbs of weight and do 15 reps, rest, then do 10lbs of weight for only 12 reps, rest, and then 15lbs for 8 reps.

Drop Sets: Sometimes after that last set of high weight/low reps, he has you “drop” down and do another set of 8 reps at a low weight. So for the workout above, I would add on another 8 reps using 5lbs.

Super Sets: These are sets of multiple moves. Instead of doing all the sets for a single move, you do all of the first sets for a set of moves, rest and then go along with your pyramid scheme.

Timed Sets: There are some moves where he times you instead of telling you how many to do. Easy.

The Workouts

Day 1: Build: Chest/Tris

Day 2: Build: Legs

Day 3: Build: Back/Bis

Day 4: Beast Cardio & Beast Abs

Day 5: Build: Shoulders

The Verdict

Body Beast is basically your traditional weight lifting routine. You do some reps, you rest, repeat. Most of the DVDs are about 40 minutes long (Cardio + Abs is 40 minutes) so these workouts go by pretty quickly. (By comparison, Insanity workouts were a grueling 40 minutes due to the non-stop, high intensity movement.) I have to say, I really feel good after the workout is over and I don’t feel like it took forever. Major bonus for me!

Second, these are weight lifting workouts so don’t always expect a huge calorie burn for your workout. On legs day, my heart rate got up higher than other days so that is a bonus but that is because working your legs will do that. Sometimes, I’m hardly sweaty after lifting. But as you build more muscle, you will burn more calories naturally throughout the day. Woohoo!

Cardio day is a little different than what most people think of. It is a lot of squats, jumps, burpees, push ups, etc. More functional fitness than traditional cardio. You heart rate will definitely be up but your muscles aren’t getting a break either.

Finally, I was pretty sore by day 3 but it subsided by the end of the week and I was ready to start again by the time Day 7 rolled around (Day 6 is rest). I was definitely using “enough” weight too so don’t think it was because I was slacking!

So, week 1 is mostly about “feeling out” the workouts, deciding how much weight you should be using. Whenever something was too easy, I noted it on my tracker sheets for next time. Likewise if it was too hard (and by too hard, I mean that I couldn’t do at least half of the reps in the set with the weight I chose).

So far, I love Body Beast! I have always had a soft spot for lifting but between having these videos to just guide me through it (I get bored at the gym), having Sagi to instruct me (and make me laugh and smile while I listen to him), and being able to do it all in my own house is really awesome. I am very excited for this program and am looking forward the rest! As for physical results, let’s hope my body responds well!

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6 comments to Body Beast: Build Week 1

Sounds very traditional. I’d LOVE that but for the fact I can’t do anything heavy (and get BORED with low wt/ high rep). I can’t do barre workouts because they’re painfully boring. YAYOG is bodyweight and is timed (different versions, as you mention supersets, etc.). I’m thinking about getting Brazilian Butt Lift (not necessarily because I’m wanting to lift my bum — but that’d be okay). It looks from what I’ve seen as it’s totally no impact (although many barre-like exercises–boo). Like you, I enjoy having somebody tell me what to do, when. It’s part of the stress-reduction for me. I like knowing I’ve got a PROGRAM and sticking to it without having to think 🙂

Exactly! Its that whole “I don’t need to think about it” thing. That is why I love home DVDs and classes at the gym. Just tell me and I do it!

And I love Brazilian Butt Lift. I’ve only done the “Bum Bum” video (cardio too actually) but the guy cracks me up and my legs were toasted at the end. Its a little light on upper body of course. it was a ton of fun though! And even the cardio day (the dance video basically) was low impact.
~Ang

Sounds like it’s right up my alley! I might have to check it out…though I have to say that I wouldn’t have given it a second thought based on the name and picture on the cover…so glad you gave it a try and have given it a thumbs up!

I have to say, I really think they did a poor job of marketing it properly to a wider audience. Women are already afraid of “getting huge” so most women wouldn’t buy this. Some of us realize its just a marketing ploy. I mean, did you see the progress photos of the girl in the article I referenced the other day? (Link: http://kevinrackfitness.com/body-fat/can-women-do-body-beast/) The one in the green bathing suit?! I would LOVE to have her results!!!

And I think you would like this though its very different from P90X. Might be fun to try!
~Ang